The Rise and Fall of Darth Eradicous
by 10writer10
Summary: What if the climatic end of Return of the Jedi resulted in Luke teaming up with his father to take out the Emperor once and for all. Perhaps he would live a life of power. Or perhaps he would learn then that the Empire was at war with a lot more then the rebels. When Luke begins down his path to darkness, he learns of the real threat to the Empire, a civil war on Coruscant.
1. Fall of a Hero

**Not that any of you believe that I do, but I do not own any of the characters in the Star Wars universe. This is simply an alternate ending/sequel to the original trilogy. This is obviously not canon. As for me I am a young and eager aspiring writer. If you like this story it would mean a ton to me if you could please spare some time to like it, and if you don't enjoy it I beg you to tell me why in the comments. Good comments will boost my confidence, but in all honesty a little bit of brute honesty can really help me progress as a writer. I encourage you to be honest if you leave a review, and if you like the story please favorite it so that I can devote more time into it. Thank you and enjoy!**

"So be it Jedi." The Emperor stood above his throne on the New Death Star, the mother of all weapons. Revealing his long, wrinkly, pale fingers from his cloak, bolts of force lightning surged towards the brave young man that stood there and rejected his power. As the lightning bolts hit the man, who went by the name Luke Skywalker, the machine of a man once known as Anakin Skywalker watched with the lightnings blue light illuminating his dark mask. That black mask was dreaded by even the outermost systems of the galaxy, it was the mask of Darth Vader, the fist of the empire.

The three men who stood fighting in the orbit of the moon of Endor were different in almost every aspect but two, their power in the mystic art of the force and their thirst for more of it. Two of them fought as Sith Lords, embodiments of darkness that sought to rule the galaxy with a tight, iron fist. The other was a Jedi, the final guardian of the light. They all had a thirst for more power, yet one of the three refused to admit it. That thirst was so powerful that their senses ignored the great danger that each of them was in. They were intensely waiting for the moment that one of them let their guard down, in order to strike each other down. The emperor wanted to strike down Luke after he was rejected in his plan to replace the once mighty, Jedi killing apprentice that was Vader with his younger, promising seed. Vader after relentlessly trying to persuade his son to join on a crusade to rule the galaxy together, waited for the best moment to fulfill his destiny as a Sith and take on the mantle of the Dark Lord. And then there was Luke who if you asked would tell you that he wanted to redeem Anakin Skywalker and bring balance to the force. On the surface that was true, but Luke had a far greater goal in mind. If Luke could murder the Emperor what would there be to stop him, after all he had spared his father after chopping off his mechanic hand on the bridge. Little did they know that a ship known as the Millennium Falcon teamed with a squad of X-wing fighters was preparing an attack on the battle stations reactor once the shield from Endor was disabled. The events that followed would greatly change the fate of the Galaxy forever.

Luke shuddered as waves of electricity brought him to the floor, yelling in pain. As the energy surged through his body with stray bolts of electricity coursing through the outside of him, he groaned and cried out "Father, please. Help me." The emperor had the power to rip the life out of his body in an instant, but instead preferred to kill Luke slowly with the intent to torture his victim, potentially to the point where he surrendered to the Emperor's ways. He would shock him with his force lightning long enough for Luke to wish that he would just end it, before stopping to watch him suffer. While all this took place, Vader just stood there as he did years before, waivering back and forth on which side to take. Last time he had taken the dark side to save his wife, only to watch her and everything he knew and once loved burn to the ground, even himself. He would make sure to take his decision slow this time.

All Luke could think of other then the burning sensation from the Emperor's torture was the question why was he in this mess? The Jedi, the rebellion, why was he putting his life on the line for them. Sure his father was a Sith Lord, but that did not obligate him to fight in the war. He had not even known of his father's existence until after the rebellion, and his father thought he had died with Padime. He joined the rebellion to get away from his poor, lonely, desert life on the scorching planet Tatooine and its two suns. Why was he, the farm boy, obligated to do the heavy lifting with the Galaxies fate on his shoulders and why did he have to serve the light. His sister was a rebel Princess of a planet that no longer existed, but he didn't even know her for most of his life. Even if he did restore balance what would be in it for him. A medal? A legend around him? The war had never touched him or his family until after the old Jedi and the droids came around, was the empire truly all that bad. Sure they enslaved Wookiees and crushed opposing fleets, but once they were in control was their rise truly the end of life as he knew it. Luke's thoughts were interrupted by a more powerful bolt from the emperor that made his mind numb, and body shake out of control.

Then it stopped. Taking a step forward the emperor said "Now young Skywalker... you will die." The Emperor's frail face grinned as blue bolts once again shot from the tips of his fingers. This time Luke screamed out louder then he had previously, the pain intensified. Vader watched as the voltage became high enough that in addition to stray bolts, the image of Luke's skeleton was flashing through his cooking skin as well. His body filled with endless rage, he was dying for a cause for no reason. Then he thought of the Jedi, the ones who sent him out on this hopeless mission with there odd and impractivsh rules and codes and his anger grew. Yoda, who was said to be the most powerful of the Jedi, feared Vader too much to face him yet he had no problem sending the hardly trained Luke to face two Sith Lords at once. He was boiling inside, not from the heat of the lightning, but from his hatred. No longer did he wish to build a new Jedi council and live his life as a feeble monk that allows the galaxy to do whatever it wished. No longer did Luke follow the wishes of those around him. It was his turn for power.

"Enough!" He roared releasing his rage, pushing back both Vader and the Emperor. Vader had taken a step towards the Emperor to save his son, and was shocked to see that Luke had freed himself of the Emperor's torture. Luke lit his lightsaber and lunged at the Dark Lord of the Sith. The neon green blade illuminated the scowl of hatred painted on his face. Vader sensed a change in his son, and that he no longer attacked the emperor with the power of the light. He decided not to intervene with fate like he would of a moment before to kill the Emperor. He would allow the most powerful beings in the galaxy to battle without his influence. If the Emperor won he would keep his current role, and otherwise he would have to settle that when the time came. He would not be of much help in a duel anyway, as the sparking remainder of his hand was a result of it and his lightsaber being chopped off to fall off the bride.

"Perhaps you are stronger than I once thought, young Skywalker. I see you have embraced your hatred, perhaps there is still hope for you as my apprentice." The Emperor said with a chilling laugh as he stumbled to get up. Luke's lightsaber was held pointed directly at his head. With a grunt Luke took a swing at the Emperor. At the last possible moment the emperor jumped over the blade showing that age has no effect on his incredible reflexes. "Powerful or not if you won't become my apprentice, you must be destroyed." Opening his cloak he revealed the silver hilt of his own lightsaber and took a fighting stance. He ignited the blade which roared to life with a woosh, and the glowing red blade was now inches away from the green blade that opposed it.

The two stood together in a stare down until Luke ran out of patience and took the first swing. Their lightsabers hummed and moaned as they moved and clashed around the room. The two lightsabers locked in with each other, with each of the master force users pushing towards the user. The Emperor may have had the skill and experience, but Luke had his youth and it showed as his green blade pushed Palpatine's an inch away from his wrinkled forehead. As a Jedi, Luke did not stand a chance against the Emperor, but his anger fueled his power. If the embrace was held for another second both the blades, which were now practically perpendicular with a white glow at the point they met, would have sliced clean through the skull leaving the two halves of his head burnt down the middle with orange lightsaber scorch marks on the edges. However just before could submit to his desire to kill the Emperor, Luke was pushed back by the Emperor's desperate force attack.

Trying to regain his once dominant edge, the Emperor held out the hand free of his lightsaber and shot more force lightning at Luke. It did not work this time however, as the green blade of Luke's lightsaber absorbed the electricity effortlessly. When the surge of force lightning ended, Luke looked the Emperor in the eyes and grinned.

At the start of the duel Palpatine felt confident, but fear began to cloud his mind. Palpatine was a wise Sith Lord, with an incredible amount of knowledge and power over the force. He like his master before only had one fear, which was to lose that power which he would through death. For years the Emperor had sat in his chair looking upon the stars with the knowledge that nothing living in any of the systems he watched could over power him. Even his apprentice, who once showed potential to surpass every Sith Lord in history, was left too feeble after his duel on Mustafar. He had let his guard down after all those years, his thirst for mo power was nowhere near what it once was. For the first time since he poisoned his master in his sleep and his fateful duel against the Jedi Master Mace Windu, Palpatine felt like he was up against an opponent that he could lose to. Even Yoda had become a mere hermit after their duel on Coruscant. There had to be some way to regain the balance and sway it in his favor, and with Luke walking back towards him he knew he had to do it quickly.

"Lord Vader, let us end this." The Emperor said in a calm voice, to hide his fear which would give Luke even more strength. Vader did not budge, disobeying his old master. If Palpatine was to survive it would have to be through his own effort, it was clear his apprentice was not going to pick a side. That decision may have benefited the Dark Lord since there was no reason for his apprentice to save his life other than a gesture out of pure loyalty or to repay moral debts. Palpatine had destroyed his younger, more powerful self known as Anakin Skywalker with a false promise just to grow his own power. If that was not enough, he forced him to live on as his apprentice in a mechanical hell just to fuel him with new anger. The Emperor had destroyed all of the old Vader except for his seed which stood before him. After all of the wrongs that he committed against him, the Emperor should have known Vader would bail on him now, even if Luke had not been his long lost son. He would be forced to continue the duel on his own.

Once again the once Jedi consumed by anger and conflicted thoughts and the Emperor that struggled to keep up with his opponents strength began to fight again. Luke felt his new found strength coursing through his darkened veins and his senses sharpening through his yellowing eyes. After all the years he had fought against the dark side of the force, Luke had finally realized just how much powerful it really was. This must be why all the Jedi are destroyed. Just by embracing this power, without even learning of the secrets of the dark side I have already developed more power than even the once great Yoda could have ever imagined. It was a thought that his Jedi teachings had warned against, as he was taught to be humble and let go of the thirst for more, but Luke did not care anymore. He may have served the light for years, but he had become drunk with new power and nothing would be able to heal the destruction of his hangover. Wielding his remarkable new strength, Luke carefully began to charge the Emperor with swift lightsaber strikes. While the blade did not hit the Emperor, with every hum sound and hiss of two blades colliding, the Emperor took a step back to try not to be hit with Luke's powerful strike losing valuable ground in the process. While Palpatine survived each fleury of attacks, it was all that he was doing. He was no longer attempting to strike his opponent, he was merely attempting to shield himself with his own blade waiting for some unlikely change of events.

Vader still stood in his place. He watched as Luke cornered him on the grey wall beside the window that showed a magnificent view of the Endor moon and the historic battle that was fought above it. The battle was the rebels last chance, a last ditch attempt at defeating the Empire, with every unit left in their arsenal deployed. In a way this was the Emperor's last stand as he was putting all of his energy in just to live to fight the next minute. If the fight continued at this pace, Luke would murder the Emperor not to restore balance, but to make room for himself as a Sith Lord. The most intriguing aspect of Luke's likely victory for Vader was what it meant for him. He would be able to rule the galaxy with his son by his side, something he had dreamed of since he first recognized the boy through the force. It was a thought that motivated him, a thought that urged him to keep on pushing forward even when his endless suffering caused him to consider ending it all. Sure the boy was more powerful than his father, but he needed him to teach him the ways of the dark side so he could grow even more powerful. Vader was excited by the concept of mentoring his son, teaching him every last thing he knew. He did not even fear the Sith tradition of the pupil killing the master to succeed them because when it came time he would turn over the mantle of Dark Lord of the Sith to Luke Skywalker, knowing that way his own air would continue his work. He was beginning to side with his son, and even if there was any doubt in his mind that it was the right side to support the words Emperor Vader had a nice ring to them.

As the Emperor's back made contact with the cold, metal wall his face became even more pale than it's normal shade. He was cornered, pinned to the end and it would not take long for Luke to finish him. Just as he had done to his father, Luke began to viciously beat the Emperor's lightsaber with his own with all the might he could put in. Seeing a look of fear in his opponent's eyes, Luke put his lightsaber over his head to wind up for one last blow. The green blade sliced directly through the Emperor's wrist, and the red blade immediately concealed itself inside the silver lightsaber as it and the hand that grasped it fell to the ground. The Emperor wailed in pain, fortunate that Luke's strikes had forced him to one side, preventing the use and loss of his second hand. It was the end of the line for the Emperor.

The frail, old man desperately pleaded "Please, don't kill me. I will give you anything, don't kill me." His eyes begged for a chance to live. Luke held out his free hand to call the lightsaber once commanded by the Emperor and ignited its red blade.

The Emperor's eyes were widened with shock and dread. There was nowhere to run, Luke had him right where he wanted him. Luke took the two blades and rested them on each other so that they made the letter "x". He placed the two blades so that the upper "v" of the "x" had the neck of the Emperor lying between it. Clenching his teeth Luke asked "Give me one reason I should pity you, and your pathetic life."

"You are strong with the dark side of the force, young Skywalker. It calls to you. With a proper teacher you would have... unlimited power. If I live, I will take you as my apprentice and you will learn every single secret of the force that I know. Then you would be ready to rule the galaxy." The Emperor despite his current position, gave Luke his devious smile.

Pulling the blades back far enough that their light could no longer be seen off the Emperor's face, Luke asked "You are a good teacher? You know how to pass your gifts to an apprentice?"

With a grin the Emperor said "I have never failed to teach an apprentice of mine the dark side of the force. I am an excellent master."

"Good" Luke said before raising the two blades to the Emperor's neck. The Emperor's face read an expression of pure fear and confusion.

"Skywalker, what... what are you doing. I can grant you power you can't possibly imagine. The power to manipulate governments, force combat and command beyond your comprehension, the power to create life. How could you reject all of that just to murder mein cold blooded hate." The Emperor did not understand. Why was a man more thirsty for power then even Anakin Skywalker once was, willing to kill him and his knowledge? Was the boy truly that foolish?

With rage in his yellow eyes and pumping through his arms that held the lightsabers, Luke said "Old man, if you are the excellent master that you claim to be then there is no problem with me learning from your pupil. Say goodbye to your throne, today your reign dies and a new era begins. Today marks the era of the Skywalker's" Luke prepared himself, tightening his grip on the lightsabers, to kill the Emperor once and for all.

Before he could pull the blades and finish the job there was a large crash, and the Death Star floor shook vigorously. An imperial Super Star Destroyer had smashed itself tip first into the Death Star's metal skin, causing a massive explosion that shook the moon sized space station. The untimely collision threw Luke to the ground hard giving the Emperor one last chance.

Once again the Emperor raised his arms from his cloak, this time revealing one pale hand and the black scorch marks of his severed wrist. The Emperor screamed as brighter and stronger bolts of force lightning raced out of the tips of his fingers directly into Luke's body. No more torture and manipulation, the Emperor decided to kill the son of his apprentice swiftly. At first Luke yelped and roared with pain, but after a few seconds he was too weak to even cry out. The Emperor's hand burnt with the amount of energy he had released, but he could not stop until he knew his opponent was dead. The only thing keeping Luke alive was his will and power in the force, but even that wouldn't last long.

All of the sudden the surge of lightning stopped, leaving Luke to slowly regain consciousness and stumble to his feet. The the Emperor was levitating a foot of the ground with his remaining hand grasping his wrinkly neck. Vader breathing heavily through his dark mask held his master in a force choke, one he willed with his mind. The Emperor gasping and struggling to break free shot a short bolt of force lightning at Vader, but Vader swiftly held out his palm with his remaining hand and called the green lightsaber to him to absorb the attack. In his deep amplified voice, the soon to be Dark Lord of the Sith exclaimed "We shall rule the galaxy together like father and son. Without combined strength there will be nothing to stand in our path to conquer every system in existence. We shall wipe those who stand in our way off the face of the galaxy.

Luke looked over at the dark mask of his father who had saved him from the Emperor after the quick swing of events. He was on one knee as he picked up the Emperor's lightsaber and looked at the struggling Sith Lord. He ignited the red blade and pushed himself to his feet. He should of killed the Emperor right then and there, but there was a moment of hesitation. The image of Ben Kenobi urging him to return to the light pestered him in his mind. Was he making a mistake? He was able to shake the vision out of his head with one of him himself, not Vader, striking the Veteran Jedi Master. If he killed the Emperor in the name of the dark side, there would be no turning back. Not many Sith Lords in history had been redeemed by the light. Darth Revan may have done it, but that was a long time ago and it was based on several unlikely scenarios.

Vader could not contain the Emperor in his force choke much longer, as the Emperor began to push back at his apprentice with his own power in the force. "Do it!" Vader called out to his son. The moment of hesitation had ended.

Luke looked at the Emperor, who was flailing his arms and legs in the air. It would be easy to finish him. Using the force he jumped into the air with the red lightsaber in his left hand. Once his jump had lifted him to an area near the Emperor he swung the blade and fell to the floor. The Emperor's head fell behind him, separated from his lifeless body. A chill spread through Luke's body and he enjoyed it. It was over. The Emperor had fallen and in his place a great new dynasty would rise. Luke was one with the dark side of the force.

Luke walked over to his father, who breathed deeply, and knelt before him. "Father, I have seen the errors of my old ways. The Jedi were weak and foolish, the rebellion was a pointless mix of false hope and desperation. If you will take me, I would be honored to be your apprentice and sit beside you as we conquer the galaxy like father and son."

"My son you remind me of a younger version of myself. Is it true that you will fully submit yourself to the dark side and serve me as my loyal apprentice."

"Yes, my lord." Luke said bowing his head.

"Very well. I will take you as my apprentice on our quest to rule the entire galaxy. For now on you will be known as Darth Eradicus. The galaxy will tremble in the wake of your destruction. Rise my apprentice, there is much for us to do, and limited time. As we speak your former friends have already lowered the shield from the imperial base on Endor. We must not be aboard the battle station when it is destroyed." After Vader spoke he made his way towards an imperial shuttle.

"My Lord if I may. With our combined power I am sure without doubt that we shall have no problem defending this battle station. I sense the Millennium Falcon approaching the reactor as well. If we stop the small rebel attack we can easily decimate the rebel fleet. I was a rebel, every ship we had is deployed out there and every man we have is on that moon. If we bombard the fleet and destroy the moon it is all gone. We defeat them all in one glorious day." Darth Eradicous got up, but did not follow his father to the shuttle.

"Eradicous my son. Did you truly believe that this was all the empire was capable of. Did you truly believe that a force of over a billion storm troopers and millions of space vessels was not able to combat a small alliance of rebel freedom fighters. There is a greater war, one where all the empire has sent her real resources. All this time the rebels have not been the only ones to question the empire. The rebels were merely the war fought outside of the boundaries, a ragged team of those who believed in democracy from the outer rim."

"Father, I don't understand. Why would you be here fighting the rebels when there was a greater threat? What is this greater threat?"

Darth Vader brought Luke aboard the shuttle. Once they were safe in space, and saw the Death Star erupt into flames in the distance Vader said "There was no further use for it anyway. There is no use for planet destroying weapons in a civil war."

Shocked Luke asked "What do you mean, civil war."

Vader said "The rebels were a threat, don't get me wrong, but all they did was stall our forward progress from the outside. The other war however, can tear our empire in two from the inside. Coruscant and all the major inner systems have plunged into civil war. After years of manipulating the senate, Palpatine went too far and as a result the senate wants to rid the government of anyone sensitive to the force. They have divided the empire into a democratic group known as the Last Stand and the Imperials."

Luke shook his head "But the Sith control the army, how is it a war. If you have billions of men fighting for you how can you lose."

Vader breathed before saying "They have a clone army. Clones are not like ordinary soilders, you can control them to an extent like you program a computer. We should of used the first Death Star to destroy Kamino and end this whole thing before it started. We destroyed Alderaan when the senate had a meeting there to try to combine forces with the rebels. You have to understand my son, that if either group lives we will be defeated."

Luke was perplexed. "You don't make any sense. Why do they both matter? You just said the rebels were weak. Answer my other question. If the civil war is the real threat, what is the point of you and the Emperor wasting your time on the moon of Endor?" He said angered.

"Patience my apprentice. It is not wise to raise your voice at your Sith master." Vader's voice was stern.

"Excuse me my Lord. I just don't understand."

"The senate no longer believes the influence of the force should be in the government. They are not opposed however, to have clone soldiers with the power in their army. We had to crush the rebellion because in there ranks was a Jedi, and his force sensitive sister. If Kamino and the Last Stand come in contact with the rebelion, which is likely since they fight the same opponent, they will find your sister. With her they would have a force sensitive army, under clone programing. It would be the end of our new empire."

Darth Eradicous nodded "So what do we do now. How do we take back our galaxy."

The shuttle landed on a Star Destroyer, that was in orbit far away from the original battle. The shuttle door opened, and Vader began to walk out. "I am sending you on your first mission. You will pretend to still be aligned with your former allies and destroy them for good from the inside. Alive or dead you must bring your sister's body to me to make sure the Last Stand can not salvage it. We can not risk the rebellion knowing her value or that you have turned to the dark side. We will meet again at the ruins of what once was the Jedi temple on Coruscant. May the force be with you, Darth Eradicous."

"As with you my Lord. If I may ask, why couldn't we simply destroy the it not have made this far easier." Eradicous said as the shuttle ramp closed.

"Search your feelings my son. Do you see her there?" The ramp closed the ship after Vader spoke.

She had fled the planet. The force ghosts of Yoda and Obi Wan must had already sent her away. He was tempted to go directly to Dagobah where he had once trained, but that would be a stretch. As he sat in the cockpit he decided to make his way down to the moon of Endor. He would blend in, claim he had brought balance to the force and that the war was over. The droids would likely follow him in his new path, but his other companions would likely stand against him. It did not matter to him. After they celebrated the wars end, and he found the location of Leia he would destroy the rebel alliance anyway. This would be the last time he referred to himself as Luke. After this mission he would have become Darth Eradicous once and for all.


	2. End of the Alliance

**So you enjoyed the last chapter and came back for more. Thanks for the support! If you haven't already. review or maybe even pm me your thoughts. Thanks!**

This was the last time he would entertain his old identity. For the last time in his life, he would go by the name Luke Skywalker. The name angered him just as the name Anakin Skywalker enraged Vader, but he had no choice. The mission he had been assigned demanded that he take on the old identity one last time. He could continue to tell the lie that he was Luke Skywalker, but only he and Vader knew the real truth. Luke Skywalker was dead and in his ashes a new being had been born. That being was known as Darth Eradicous, one that would become a new embodiment of fear in the galaxy.

The shuttle hovered over the rebel landing pad before touching down onto the surface of the moon of Endor. The leaves on the trees swayed back and forth from the force of the ship as it landed. The ramp opened and Luke marched outside. This would be quick he was thinking.

As he entered the Ewok village all he could notice was how vibrant the atmosphere was around him. The entire village was engulfed in celebration, one of a magnitude that Luke had never seen. All the music, dancing, and happiness that filled the environment confused Luke. All of the creatures that celebrated were ignorant, they had no clue what was really going on. They celebrated the end of a war that had just begun. They were clueless about everything that went on in the inner galaxy. They had no record of the civil war, the rise of a new army on Kamino, or even the entirety of the Empire. They were celebrating a victory of a war that they had not even won.

The thing was, as he walked into the small, obsolete village he began to get into it. The bonfires, fireworks, music, and dancing warmed the heart of Luke Skywalker. For a brief second, he was not pretending to be his old self, he actually was what he once was. These people celebrating were his friends and their allies, who had given up everything just to see this day. At first, he pitied them because in truth they had won nothing, and they had lost so much just to win a battle that meant so little. But then the pity was quickly challenged by his guilt. He realized that deep within his heart he wanted to be down there on the dance floor celebrating with his friends. He wanted, for a brief moment, to be a rebel again. So what if they had won nothing, the rebel motto was to fight one day so that they could eventually live free the next, and since those celebrating had not died, they still had not failed.

He shook off his feelings as he began to feel the light side calling to him. He could not let that happen, it would destroy all he had worked for. The rule of the entire galaxy was far more valuable to him than a few decent friendships he had made during the last few years. He had to destroy what called him to the light, only then would he fully be able to embrace the dark side. Many years ago Anakin Skywalker stormed the Jedi Temple and murdered the younglings and masters that he had once lived and fought beside. That is what sealed his descent down his dark path. Luke Skywalker had to do the same. He could never truly claim the name Darth Eradicous and its mantle without first destroying any connection to his old life. He had to destroy the rebel alliance just as his father did to the Jedi order years ago.

When he bumped into a familiar face entering the village at first, he greeted it with a smile. By the time he was at the heart of the village, the smile had rotted into a scowl. He was afraid of his old self and feared that the longer he held off on the rebel execution the higher the odds were he gave up on the dark side and returned to them. He could not do that, not now. The rebel alliance was a cancer to his new identity and he had to wipe it out before it was too late. He knew what he had to do but he needed more help gathering the strength to do it.

He tried to regain his anger from the duel on the Death Star that had started him down the path. Slowly but surely, his head began to swirl with hatred. These people did not care about him, they had just sent him away on a suicide mission to take out the Emperor. They did not want him, they just needed his power. They were going to get his power. He reached for his lightsaber, ready to decapitate the first being that crossed paths with him. Before he could though, something stopped him.

"Wait," he whispered to himself. "Not yet. You still need to put on the act a bit longer. You need to be Luke till you find Leia." He took a deep breath. The rebel alliance would die, but only after he got the information he needed. Who would she tell though? All the sudden the name came to his corrupted mind. Han Solo.

The smuggler would know where his sister was. He could sense it, the two had a bond. At one point he himself had a bond with Leia, his twin sister, but it must have been damaged when he took on the dark side. He needed a new way of finding the force sensitive girl, and he believed Han was the answer.

He searched the crowd of the party for a few minutes before it dawned on him that it was far more likely for Han to be standing on the outside than within it. It was Han's personality, he was not much of a people person.

Luke walked around the outside of the party until he found the man and his furry friend leaning on a tree and looking in from the outside. The man saw Luke approach and exclaimed "Hey kid, you made it. Wow. That is great news, we thought you perished with the Death Star." Han Solo put his drink down and gave Luke a rare hug, while the wookie let out a ferocious yet friendly roar.

Luke smiled with Han's embrace, and it was a real smile too. He dreaded the thought of killing the man. "So what now?" Luke asked.

Han Solo shrugged "Well the princess left the base, saying something about the Manaan system. I don't know why she wants to splash around that puddle nor do I care. I am just glad I was not the first one to have to leave between the two of us." The wookie nodded with a soft growl.

"Why are you so glad she is gone?" Luke asked, despite the fact that he already had the information he needed. He had told himself that he would be in and out as quick as possible, but he could not help himself from having a conversation with his friend. He wished he could just end it, rather than prolonging it and adding doubt in his mind but he could not bring himself to do it.

"Well after the battle, things got a little... heated between me and the princess before she left the moon. I did not know if she thought it was a long time thing or not, because it was just a heat of the moment thing for me." He chuckled "I don't know if you knew this but I am not exactly a man that spends too much time with one woman. Anyway, I was relieved that she felt the same way."

"So you think you're going to stick around?" Luke inquired.

"Nah" Han Solo smirked "The life of a rebel general is no longer for me. I have to admit, I got sucked in for a bit but I feel I have been tied down for too long. I am and always will be the slick smuggler you met several years ago. Me, Chewbacca, and the Millenium Falcon were made to be in chaotic adventures across the galaxies avoiding death as we cruise past the stars. I am off the hook with Jabba, but I still have debts to pay and storylines to complete. It was a good time kid, but first thing tomorrow morning I will be light years away from this rock."

"Yeah. To be honest I am still weighing my options. I am just shocked we made it." Luke spoke truthfully. Han Solo talked to him as if nothing had ever happened and Luke was reminded of all the good times he had shared fighting for the rebel alliance. Seeing everyone that he had planned to betray made him entertain second thoughts. He had only killed the Emperor, it was not too late to turn back. The light had not completely left him yet, as he had not sealed his descent to the dark side in blood.

"Well," Han said. "You can always come with us kid. With all that skill and that force stuff, you could be a great addition to our team." Han picked up his drink as he awaited a response.

Luke wanted to say yes. He wished he could escape everything and just become a smuggler with Han and Chewie. With their skill and his power, it sure would be a lot of fun and there would be money involved too. He had to decline though, he had been offered a seat beside his father as a ruler of the Galaxy. Sadly Luke said, "I would love to, but I am needed elsewhere."

Han shrugged. "Suit yourself" he added.

Luke was committed to serving his father, but he had a realization. His job was to take out the rebel alliance, and now that Han solo was leaving there was no need of destroying him. Luke would murder the rebels after the departure of his friend. Han would never know, or at least not for a while. He would hold the rebel destruction for the next morning while most unsuspecting men still slept. That way he did not have to cut down his friend with his own green blade.

He was about to leave the smuggler when the man called out "If you can. Send me updates on your sister, I want to be sure she is alright. This galaxy is a dangerous place and it wouldn't be a bad idea if we keep an eye out for one another." Luke froze in place.

He knew. The fact that he knew that she was his sister was a huge red flag. Han Solo was not a genius when it came to the force but it could not be too hard to realize that if her brother was force sensitive then she might be too. Han Solo as a smuggler would be traveling all over the galaxy would surely come in contact with someone that was at least familiar with the civil war. He could not risk Han Solo living with the knowledge that he had. With a slip of the tongue, he could reveal Leia and bring the Empire to its knees. Thanks to his knowledge Han Solo was far too dangerous to be kept alive. Luke wished he had just walked away, but now he knew what had to be done.

Luke put his hand on the lightsaber that hung from his belt, cringing at the thought of what he was to do next. For a brief second, he raised his hand away from the weapon feeling merciful. Before he could walk away Luke heard a deep voice in his mind. "Do not be weak, son. You know what must be done. Strike them down and kill the name Luke Skywalker once and for all." Luke complied and grabbed the hilt of his lightsaber tightly. He knew what had to be done.

He lit the blade and pointed it at the head of Solo. Vader's voice in his head said "Claim your destiny, my son. Become Darth Eradicous as you were born to do." After that moment there would be no turning back

Luke looked into the startled eyes of Han Solo. He did not speak to the petrified man, but if he did he would have told him "I am sorry." Luke closed his eyes as he could not bear to watch. He pulled with his right hand and the permanently shocked head of Han Solo fell to the soft soil of Endor. The once live eyes of the rebel hero were now staring dead center into space, with a cold lifeless expression. Han Solo was dead.

The entire party quickly lost its lively atmosphere as the crowd became silent and alarmed about the man who had been murdered behind them. There a few screams and whimpers but the loudest noise came from the enraged wookie that stood beside Luke. It clawed him and threw him to the ground with the roar of a thousand beast before pulling out a bowcaster. The enraged wookie fired three powerful green blasts with the weapon, striking Luke twice in the leg and leaving a scorch mark on the floor.

Luke did not know where more pain came from, his wound or his deed. He was now Darth Eradicus for good but was it worth his treacherous actions. He wished he could have some time to dwell on what happened but that would have to wait. He now had to finish what he started.

Luke was lying on the ground motionless as Chewbacca aimed the bowcaster at his head and pulled the trigger. The green blaster bolt never hit it's target. The green blast had frozen in the air halfway between the bowcaster that had launched it and the head of Skywalker. The mouths of everyone watching the drama unfold dropped.

Luke slowly stumbled to his feet, with a heavy limp in his left leg that dripped blood through his white robes. He held out his flesh hand and the green bolt reversed destroying the bowcaster that had created it before ripping through the heart of the poor wookie. Luke scowled at the two dead bodies of great friends that laid side by side and took a deep breath. The air around him smelled like burnt dog.

The death of Chewbacca was enough for a village-wide reaction. Ewoks cried out and rebel soldiers pulled out their weapons. Hundreds of green blaster shots approached the newly born sith lord, and each one hit into the green lightsaber blade before deflecting into a rebel, Ewok, or even trees and settlements in the area. The creatures that attacked there once friend dropped like flies and stray blaster bolts had engulfed the village into a blaze. Pretty soon they would all share the same fate of Han and Chewbacca.

All that remained of the village after the barrage of blaster was thirty beings, hundreds of bodies, and ashes. One of the feeble remaining rebel soldiers cried out "Master Luke, why is it you do this. We were your family."

As Luke choked the life out of him he shouted "Vader is my father. From this day on, Luke is no more. Heil Darth Eradicous."

The men and women around him pleaded for their lives as the little naive Ewoks ran about the forest checking on the dead. Little did the creatures know they would soon be joining them.

Darth Eradicous held his metal fist into the air and yelled out in rage, feeding on the dark acts he had just committed. He clenched his mechanical fist tight and within a minute everything, even the crickets, around him was dead. The once lively village was now a quiet heap of ash.

Darth Vader spoke through Luke's mind "Very well my apprentice. You potential may be higher than I once hoped. Finish off the fleet and then meet with me for your next assignment."

Something changed in Luke after those events. Before he had committed the mass murder of his once friends and allies, there was still light within him. That light had been overwhelmed with darkness. He had been able to destroy almost all that had remained of his last life. He was finally a true sith lord. On top of it all, he had gained a consistent drive for the hatred that fueled him. He would now be strengthened by his hatred for himself and what he had become.

He left the village without turning back to peek at all the damage he had caused. He entered the shuttle by the ramp and made his way to the cockpit. Once inside he activated the ship and it began to levitate off the landing panel. Instead of flying off, however, Luke pulled out the weapons control panel from below him and activated rapid fire which immediately crushed the once fine landing base. He did not stop then either.

The ships blasters guns whined as it flew overhead what remained of the pathetic village. There, from the sky above, was a patch of black between the green trees where the old village once was. Luke took the shuttle around the moon hitting every ship or base that still stood and turning it too into ashes. When everything was gone he fired upon the village again to ensure everyone that one lived there had died. Finally when there was nothing to fire upon, and several forests had become victim to wildfire, Luke took the shuttle off of the rapid-fire setting.

There was nothing more to do on the demolished moon. As Luke's shuttle went up into orbit, a large rebel cruiser came into the horizon. What did they want? Could they have already known what he had done?

All the sudden a hologram appeared on Luke's dashboard. It was one of the admirals of the rebel fleet. "Master Skywalker." The clueless man exclaimed. "The war is over, the empire is finished. Have our remaining forces regroup with the fleet, from there we will dictate what action takes place next." Luke nodded and the hologram closed.

Luke docked his ship on the large rebel cruiser. He had a grand plan to take out the entire fleet. He made his way down the lower bridge that led to the main hyperdrive and rigged it to malfunction and explode once reunited with the rebel fleet. It was a cold-hearted plan, an attack without any warning, but under his new beliefs that was no longer wrong to do. He then made his way to the command deck to meet with the pilot. The mechanic doors opened for him as he walked towards them.

"Master Skywalker, will the others be joining us. We are ready to depart when you are." said the main pilot. Part of his face was peeking out from the side of the command chair.

Luke shook his head. "Return to the Amiral and the main fleet. The rebels on Endor have requested to be withdrawn from the surface at a later date. We will come in contact when we are ready to return."

"Strange request, but I suppose it is up to the soldiers." The pilot began to punch in a quick message to his superior. "The war is over, so I guess there is no rush. I just assumed along with the Admiral that they would be more eager to return to their homeworlds. How about you, Master Skywalker."

Luke made a devious smile. "Feel free to return as soon as I departed. I have no desire to be on this vessel when it lands." Luke chuckle to himself. The pilot was an honorable man, it was a shame that he was about to embark on his last flight.

Luke's shuttle ventured back to the surface. As it gained distance from the dock, the large rebel cruiser blasted off into hyperspace for the last time. Luke would briefly retrieve the two droids and steal the Millenium Falcon from his two diseased friends before continuing on his path. His next stop would be Manaan, the water world.

Admiral Ackbar watched as the rebel cruiser he had sent to Endor returned empty. He could not understand why it would return without the rebels, and why they wanted to stay on the savage moon of Endor. Then it hit him as the ship was just about to make contact with the landing pad. "It's a trap!" he shouted a moment too late. With an explosion in the hyperdrive, the entire fleet perished at once. The rebel alliance was no more.


End file.
